Saturday, October 28, 2006
13 Oct
Today was a full day safari in the Serengeti. In the morning, we went back to the river area we had been the previous evening. The game was very dense. The highlight was the amount of lions. We saw over 20 in the morning alone. We even watched lions hunt. 4 lions lined up down wind of a group of zebras and waited for them to go to the water hole. They were crouched low in the golden colored grass. After an hour of watching, the lions gave up the hunt. The number of cars watching was a zoo in or itself. There must have been 30 safari vehicles there. We blocked the access for the zebras to the water, so we may have caused the unsuccessful hunt. We also saw lots of zebra, gazelle, giraffes, and buffalo. We also saw a cheetah and a leopard. After lunch at the camp, we went out into the grasslands in search of more animals. We saw a cheetah and some giraffes. Right as we were heading back to camp, we saw the lions with a fresh kill. They were fighting for the meat. In the end, we saw them rip the gazelle in half and eat seperately (they were only 5 yds away)...quite gruesome. We drove back to camp with our hair blowing in the breeze of the open top jeep and the sun setting over the endless plains.
14 Oct
This morning we went to a hippo pool further afield in the Serengeti. There must have been 100+ hippos crowded together in a small pool. The banks of the pool were surrounded by crocodiles. In the afternoon, we drove back to Ngorogoro Crater. The drive was dusty and bumpy again. Not very eventful. We did see some lions, but they had lost the allure. By the afternoon we were at our camp on the crater rim. After taking time to look out over the crater floor, we sat down to dinner. It was the best of the trip. The night was cold.
15 Oct
We woke up early and drove down into the crater. Ngorogoro Crater is home to the big five and the highest concentration of predators...as well as the largest crater that is not filled with water. We had seen lots of cats. All we needed was a rhino to complete the big five. All morning we drove around the crater looking for a rhino. The crater was even more densely filled with tourists than the serengeti. There were lots of wildabeasts and zebra. There is no migration in the crater like the serengeti (most of the migratory animals were in Kenya when we were in the serengeti). So many that the ground is covered with dung. We saw lions even closer than in the serengeti...but no rhinos. It was more like I envisioned a safari to be...harder to see animals...a real search. By the end of the day we hadn't see a rhino. I was disappointed, but it was still a great safari. After lunch we left the crater (it was very dry and dusty there as well). We drove back to Le Jacaranda hotel. The showers felt great after our time camping. We ate at an Ethiopian resturant across the street for dinner.
16 Oct
Woke up to the pouring rain. We relaxed all morning at the hotel and left at 1 PM to go to the airport to fly to Zanzibar. We flew Precision Air. It was only 50 min. in the air to get to Zanzibar compared to the 8 hour bus ride. We went back to the same hotel as we had previously in Stonetown. Relaxed at the African House bar for sunset and the stars and ate at our favorite fish stall. It was relaxing to be back in a place we had been before and knew where to go.
17 Oct
Took the share bus up to Ngunwi (beach) in the morning. Got a hotel at Union Bay, the hotel beside the last one we stayed at. Did some errands/chores...laundry, internet etc. We hung out at the beach until lunch. We had fish at a resturant beside the ocean and then played cards during an afternoon rain. Booked a diving trip for the next day and swam in the ocean. We watch the sunset from the beach bar and had dinner at a resturant beside the water again. A very relaxing day.
18 Oct
We woke up to the rain, but it was only a quick downpour. Luckily it did not rain the rest of the day. After breakfast, Conor and I went Scuba diving. We went to two spots close to where we had gone before. At the first, the visiblity was not as good as the last time. The second spot was really good though. Lots of colorful fish. The highlight were two crocodile fish. The afternoon was very similar to everyone we had spent at Ngunwi previously. Sunset at the beach bar and dinner at a resturant by the ocean.
19 Oct
Another wake up with the rain. This time it rained all morning. At 10 AM, we got on a share bus and headed back to Stonetown. We got a room at our hotel in Stonetown. We got ferry tickets and tried to get on the internet, but there was no power. Zanzibar was doing 4 hour a day blackouts on a rotating basis. We had lunch in the old fort (it was still Ramadan) and then booked a half day spice tour for the 20th. After that, we explored the market. We checked out all of the street vendors, fruit vendors and spice vendors in the narrow and congested market area. In the evening we headed back to the Africa House bar and the fish stands.
20 Oct
It rained again this morning. The "short" rains had started...essentially a monosoon season with daily rains lasting only a couple of hours maximum. We got picked up for our spice tour at the hotel (we were the only people on it). First stop was a historic spot, the palace of the sultan. Prior to independence in 1964, Zanzibar was ruled by arabic sultans protected militarily by the British. The mansion had been destroyed but the ruins had once held his 99 "secondary wives." After the palace, we went to a spice farm. We walked through the trees with our guide. He had us smell the leaves and sample the spice directly from the trees. They had everything from cloves to vanilla to lemon grass. We had some coconut water and lemongrass tea before hoping in the minibus for a quick driving tour of Stonetown. After lunch, we went to the ferry terminal. It was a good thing we got there early because the ferry left a half hour early. If we would have missed it, we would not have made our flight. When we got to Dar, we had dinner and hit the internet cafe. At 10 PM we got on our flight to Dubai (Emirates Air).
Today was a full day safari in the Serengeti. In the morning, we went back to the river area we had been the previous evening. The game was very dense. The highlight was the amount of lions. We saw over 20 in the morning alone. We even watched lions hunt. 4 lions lined up down wind of a group of zebras and waited for them to go to the water hole. They were crouched low in the golden colored grass. After an hour of watching, the lions gave up the hunt. The number of cars watching was a zoo in or itself. There must have been 30 safari vehicles there. We blocked the access for the zebras to the water, so we may have caused the unsuccessful hunt. We also saw lots of zebra, gazelle, giraffes, and buffalo. We also saw a cheetah and a leopard. After lunch at the camp, we went out into the grasslands in search of more animals. We saw a cheetah and some giraffes. Right as we were heading back to camp, we saw the lions with a fresh kill. They were fighting for the meat. In the end, we saw them rip the gazelle in half and eat seperately (they were only 5 yds away)...quite gruesome. We drove back to camp with our hair blowing in the breeze of the open top jeep and the sun setting over the endless plains.
14 Oct
This morning we went to a hippo pool further afield in the Serengeti. There must have been 100+ hippos crowded together in a small pool. The banks of the pool were surrounded by crocodiles. In the afternoon, we drove back to Ngorogoro Crater. The drive was dusty and bumpy again. Not very eventful. We did see some lions, but they had lost the allure. By the afternoon we were at our camp on the crater rim. After taking time to look out over the crater floor, we sat down to dinner. It was the best of the trip. The night was cold.
15 Oct
We woke up early and drove down into the crater. Ngorogoro Crater is home to the big five and the highest concentration of predators...as well as the largest crater that is not filled with water. We had seen lots of cats. All we needed was a rhino to complete the big five. All morning we drove around the crater looking for a rhino. The crater was even more densely filled with tourists than the serengeti. There were lots of wildabeasts and zebra. There is no migration in the crater like the serengeti (most of the migratory animals were in Kenya when we were in the serengeti). So many that the ground is covered with dung. We saw lions even closer than in the serengeti...but no rhinos. It was more like I envisioned a safari to be...harder to see animals...a real search. By the end of the day we hadn't see a rhino. I was disappointed, but it was still a great safari. After lunch we left the crater (it was very dry and dusty there as well). We drove back to Le Jacaranda hotel. The showers felt great after our time camping. We ate at an Ethiopian resturant across the street for dinner.
16 Oct
Woke up to the pouring rain. We relaxed all morning at the hotel and left at 1 PM to go to the airport to fly to Zanzibar. We flew Precision Air. It was only 50 min. in the air to get to Zanzibar compared to the 8 hour bus ride. We went back to the same hotel as we had previously in Stonetown. Relaxed at the African House bar for sunset and the stars and ate at our favorite fish stall. It was relaxing to be back in a place we had been before and knew where to go.
17 Oct
Took the share bus up to Ngunwi (beach) in the morning. Got a hotel at Union Bay, the hotel beside the last one we stayed at. Did some errands/chores...laundry, internet etc. We hung out at the beach until lunch. We had fish at a resturant beside the ocean and then played cards during an afternoon rain. Booked a diving trip for the next day and swam in the ocean. We watch the sunset from the beach bar and had dinner at a resturant beside the water again. A very relaxing day.
18 Oct
We woke up to the rain, but it was only a quick downpour. Luckily it did not rain the rest of the day. After breakfast, Conor and I went Scuba diving. We went to two spots close to where we had gone before. At the first, the visiblity was not as good as the last time. The second spot was really good though. Lots of colorful fish. The highlight were two crocodile fish. The afternoon was very similar to everyone we had spent at Ngunwi previously. Sunset at the beach bar and dinner at a resturant by the ocean.
19 Oct
Another wake up with the rain. This time it rained all morning. At 10 AM, we got on a share bus and headed back to Stonetown. We got a room at our hotel in Stonetown. We got ferry tickets and tried to get on the internet, but there was no power. Zanzibar was doing 4 hour a day blackouts on a rotating basis. We had lunch in the old fort (it was still Ramadan) and then booked a half day spice tour for the 20th. After that, we explored the market. We checked out all of the street vendors, fruit vendors and spice vendors in the narrow and congested market area. In the evening we headed back to the Africa House bar and the fish stands.
20 Oct
It rained again this morning. The "short" rains had started...essentially a monosoon season with daily rains lasting only a couple of hours maximum. We got picked up for our spice tour at the hotel (we were the only people on it). First stop was a historic spot, the palace of the sultan. Prior to independence in 1964, Zanzibar was ruled by arabic sultans protected militarily by the British. The mansion had been destroyed but the ruins had once held his 99 "secondary wives." After the palace, we went to a spice farm. We walked through the trees with our guide. He had us smell the leaves and sample the spice directly from the trees. They had everything from cloves to vanilla to lemon grass. We had some coconut water and lemongrass tea before hoping in the minibus for a quick driving tour of Stonetown. After lunch, we went to the ferry terminal. It was a good thing we got there early because the ferry left a half hour early. If we would have missed it, we would not have made our flight. When we got to Dar, we had dinner and hit the internet cafe. At 10 PM we got on our flight to Dubai (Emirates Air).
Monday, October 23, 2006
11 Oct
Today was the start of the safari. Before leaving, we set up a flight from Arusha to Zanzibar. At 9:30 we met our guide (named Good Luck...this was what we actually called hime) and our cook. We stopped off for a few supplies and hit a craft shop before heading out of Arusha in our Toyota Land Cruiser for Tarangine National Park. It was a two hour drive, so when we got to our campsite, we had lunch. By 1 PM we were in the park in search of animals. It was quite similar to Chobe (Botswana) in that there were a lot of elephants animals by a river. The river was not as big nor as marshy as in Chobe, but the concentration of game was still there. We saw lots of elephants, gazelles, zebras, giraffes etc. We also saw 3 lions and a leopard. Our first big cats of the trip. We saw buffalo as well, so we had 4 of the big 5 covered in the first day. Quite lucky. Good Luck was amazing. How he saw a leopard from a few hundred yards away was crazy. It was laying in a tree and the only way I saw it was with binoculars. It then woke up and climbed down the tree. Pretty amazing...and I am not the biggest animal fan in the world. We left the park by 6 PM and went back to camp for dinner. It was similar to the Good Earth meals on the mountain, but our cook was better this time. There was an African drum show at the camp that night. We didn't watch it, but we fell asleep to the beats.
12 Oct
Today we drove all the way to the Serengeti. It was a long dusty and bumpy ride. The scenery was very dry grass lands. Not the most memorable. It was so dusty the visiblity was not very good, so you could not see very far. It was the dry season, but I didn't know that it equated to the dust season. We didn't see any animals on the transit except for cattle being herded by the Maasi people. They were red and blue cloth as clothes and hold sticks and watch cattle all day. They live in villages of mud and thatch huts with a wall of wood or scrubby bushes to keep the animals they herd away from the predators at night. The work serengeti is maasi for endless plain...and that is what is was. An endless plain. When we got to the national park, it was not spectacular until we go towards the interier. Here there are some rivers that provide water year round. This is where we were to see lots of animals and the landscape was that seen in national geographic. The late afternoon was a game drive and it was good. We saw 5 lions and lots of gazelle giraffes, zebra, hippos and elephants by the water. Back at camp we had dinner and watch the stars come out.
Today was the start of the safari. Before leaving, we set up a flight from Arusha to Zanzibar. At 9:30 we met our guide (named Good Luck...this was what we actually called hime) and our cook. We stopped off for a few supplies and hit a craft shop before heading out of Arusha in our Toyota Land Cruiser for Tarangine National Park. It was a two hour drive, so when we got to our campsite, we had lunch. By 1 PM we were in the park in search of animals. It was quite similar to Chobe (Botswana) in that there were a lot of elephants animals by a river. The river was not as big nor as marshy as in Chobe, but the concentration of game was still there. We saw lots of elephants, gazelles, zebras, giraffes etc. We also saw 3 lions and a leopard. Our first big cats of the trip. We saw buffalo as well, so we had 4 of the big 5 covered in the first day. Quite lucky. Good Luck was amazing. How he saw a leopard from a few hundred yards away was crazy. It was laying in a tree and the only way I saw it was with binoculars. It then woke up and climbed down the tree. Pretty amazing...and I am not the biggest animal fan in the world. We left the park by 6 PM and went back to camp for dinner. It was similar to the Good Earth meals on the mountain, but our cook was better this time. There was an African drum show at the camp that night. We didn't watch it, but we fell asleep to the beats.
12 Oct
Today we drove all the way to the Serengeti. It was a long dusty and bumpy ride. The scenery was very dry grass lands. Not the most memorable. It was so dusty the visiblity was not very good, so you could not see very far. It was the dry season, but I didn't know that it equated to the dust season. We didn't see any animals on the transit except for cattle being herded by the Maasi people. They were red and blue cloth as clothes and hold sticks and watch cattle all day. They live in villages of mud and thatch huts with a wall of wood or scrubby bushes to keep the animals they herd away from the predators at night. The work serengeti is maasi for endless plain...and that is what is was. An endless plain. When we got to the national park, it was not spectacular until we go towards the interier. Here there are some rivers that provide water year round. This is where we were to see lots of animals and the landscape was that seen in national geographic. The late afternoon was a game drive and it was good. We saw 5 lions and lots of gazelle giraffes, zebra, hippos and elephants by the water. Back at camp we had dinner and watch the stars come out.
Oct 6 and 7
Both days were very similar. We hiked 3 hours in the morning on each day and then another 1 hour climb in the afternoon in order to "hike high, sleep low." The food was similar as was the trail. We were above the tree line now and it was scrubby trees and grasses. These decreased in density as we ascended so by the night of the 7th we were in dirt and rock. The night of the 6th was at 2nd cave campsite and the 7th was at 3rd cave. The weather was mostly sunny. One advantage to the Rongai route is that you are hiking up the whole time and you are constantly facing the mountain. The views of the summit are unobstructed with the exception of the passing clouds. Quite spectacular. Both nights we went right to bed after dinner. The moon was bright.
Oct 8
Today we ascended to the summit's base camp, Kibo hut. It is at the junction of the Marangu and Rongai trails and sits at an elevation of 15,500 ft. It was a 2.5 hour walk from 3rd cave. Tamara was having headaches due to the altitude. The terrain was lunar in appearance. Loose rock and dirt. The summit trail looked almost vertical. We had lunch and talked to others at the camp who had made summit attempts earlier. Some had made it, some had not. We all agreed that we had traveled half way around the world and we were going to make it my shear will. We went to bed after and early dinner and were briefed on the summit attempt by the guide. We were to wake at midnight and leave camp at 12:30 in order to reach the summit for sunrise.
Oct 9
Summit day. We slept OK, but not great. At midnight we had tea in bed and put on our gear. It was cold and we put on everything we had. The moon was so bright (almost a full moon), so we did not need headlamps. The ground was lit by the moon and it gave the night a eery, but spectacular look...even more lunar than before. We started quickly. We passed a couple groups on the trail. The trail was a loose mix of small rock and sand like dirt. Tamara's hands got cold and she was going slow, so we split the group about 3/4 of the way up. She went with one guide, Conor and I with another. The first major mile stone was Gilman's Point. It was on the crater rim, but not the summit of the moutain. Close to the rim, it got very rocky. Conor and I slowed considerably at this point. Conor was really affected by the cold and the altitude. I was still OK. We got to Gilman's at 4:45. We took a quick break and then started the slow walk to the summit. The lack of oxygen at this altitude was noticable. You really could not go that fast without going out of breath. One stop on the way to the summit, we looked back and saw Tamara. She had caught up and we were going to be together for the summit. The last part was not very steep...we were on the rim, but it still took 1.5 hours. As we walked, the sun was starting to come up and the sky and the glaciers reflecting the light changed from black to grey to purple to blue to red. It was neat. The summit was clear, but there were clouds a few thousand feet down. We reached the summit right at sunrise (approx. 6:15). 19,320 ft.!! No snow, just a couple of shrinking glaciers. We took pictures and looked out for 15 min. before heading down. It was really cold and there were a lot of people. Close to 20 or 30 there with us. We hiked back down. Conor was cold and went quick. I stayed back with Tamara because the altitude was affecting her and she was going slower. By 9 we were all back in camp napping. Unfortunately, we had to hike another 3 hours that afternoon to get to the night's camp. It was not bad though because we were on our way back down...away from the altitude and closer to a shower. We took the Marangu route down. It was much more crowded, the trail was wider and there were huts at the camp sites. They even sold beer and soda at the huts. Much more commercial than our route and worse views of the mountain. We were quite glad we had decided on the Rongai route and made it to the top!
Oct 10
Woke up and from the camp we could see out onto the Tanzanian plains and rainforests at the mountain's base. Quite a good view that had been covered in clouds the previous day. We had a 3.5 hour hike down to the gate. The trail started above the tree line and, as we walked, transitioned to scrubby trees, to deciduous to rainforest. Very scenic. Prettier than the first day of hiking on the Rongai. We saw some monkeys along the way too. By noon we were at the gate. We received certificates for reaching the summit and then piled into the minibus back to Arusha. It was a 2 hour drive, but it was nice to be off our feet. We tipped the guides and porters. When we got back to the hotel, we all hit the showers and tried to rinse some of the dust off of our clothes. We were so dirty. I had to wash my hair twice just to get the shampoo suds to stay the same color. After the showers we hit the bar at the hotel (same as before the climb...La Jacarenda) and had some Kilimanjaro beer. We stayed for dinner and went to bed early.
Both days were very similar. We hiked 3 hours in the morning on each day and then another 1 hour climb in the afternoon in order to "hike high, sleep low." The food was similar as was the trail. We were above the tree line now and it was scrubby trees and grasses. These decreased in density as we ascended so by the night of the 7th we were in dirt and rock. The night of the 6th was at 2nd cave campsite and the 7th was at 3rd cave. The weather was mostly sunny. One advantage to the Rongai route is that you are hiking up the whole time and you are constantly facing the mountain. The views of the summit are unobstructed with the exception of the passing clouds. Quite spectacular. Both nights we went right to bed after dinner. The moon was bright.
Oct 8
Today we ascended to the summit's base camp, Kibo hut. It is at the junction of the Marangu and Rongai trails and sits at an elevation of 15,500 ft. It was a 2.5 hour walk from 3rd cave. Tamara was having headaches due to the altitude. The terrain was lunar in appearance. Loose rock and dirt. The summit trail looked almost vertical. We had lunch and talked to others at the camp who had made summit attempts earlier. Some had made it, some had not. We all agreed that we had traveled half way around the world and we were going to make it my shear will. We went to bed after and early dinner and were briefed on the summit attempt by the guide. We were to wake at midnight and leave camp at 12:30 in order to reach the summit for sunrise.
Oct 9
Summit day. We slept OK, but not great. At midnight we had tea in bed and put on our gear. It was cold and we put on everything we had. The moon was so bright (almost a full moon), so we did not need headlamps. The ground was lit by the moon and it gave the night a eery, but spectacular look...even more lunar than before. We started quickly. We passed a couple groups on the trail. The trail was a loose mix of small rock and sand like dirt. Tamara's hands got cold and she was going slow, so we split the group about 3/4 of the way up. She went with one guide, Conor and I with another. The first major mile stone was Gilman's Point. It was on the crater rim, but not the summit of the moutain. Close to the rim, it got very rocky. Conor and I slowed considerably at this point. Conor was really affected by the cold and the altitude. I was still OK. We got to Gilman's at 4:45. We took a quick break and then started the slow walk to the summit. The lack of oxygen at this altitude was noticable. You really could not go that fast without going out of breath. One stop on the way to the summit, we looked back and saw Tamara. She had caught up and we were going to be together for the summit. The last part was not very steep...we were on the rim, but it still took 1.5 hours. As we walked, the sun was starting to come up and the sky and the glaciers reflecting the light changed from black to grey to purple to blue to red. It was neat. The summit was clear, but there were clouds a few thousand feet down. We reached the summit right at sunrise (approx. 6:15). 19,320 ft.!! No snow, just a couple of shrinking glaciers. We took pictures and looked out for 15 min. before heading down. It was really cold and there were a lot of people. Close to 20 or 30 there with us. We hiked back down. Conor was cold and went quick. I stayed back with Tamara because the altitude was affecting her and she was going slower. By 9 we were all back in camp napping. Unfortunately, we had to hike another 3 hours that afternoon to get to the night's camp. It was not bad though because we were on our way back down...away from the altitude and closer to a shower. We took the Marangu route down. It was much more crowded, the trail was wider and there were huts at the camp sites. They even sold beer and soda at the huts. Much more commercial than our route and worse views of the mountain. We were quite glad we had decided on the Rongai route and made it to the top!
Oct 10
Woke up and from the camp we could see out onto the Tanzanian plains and rainforests at the mountain's base. Quite a good view that had been covered in clouds the previous day. We had a 3.5 hour hike down to the gate. The trail started above the tree line and, as we walked, transitioned to scrubby trees, to deciduous to rainforest. Very scenic. Prettier than the first day of hiking on the Rongai. We saw some monkeys along the way too. By noon we were at the gate. We received certificates for reaching the summit and then piled into the minibus back to Arusha. It was a 2 hour drive, but it was nice to be off our feet. We tipped the guides and porters. When we got back to the hotel, we all hit the showers and tried to rinse some of the dust off of our clothes. We were so dirty. I had to wash my hair twice just to get the shampoo suds to stay the same color. After the showers we hit the bar at the hotel (same as before the climb...La Jacarenda) and had some Kilimanjaro beer. We stayed for dinner and went to bed early.
Friday, October 20, 2006
OCT 2
After a 40 min. morning walk by the ocean, we boarded a mini-bus back to Stonetown. We then had lunch in the Old Fort (it could not be seen from the street, so it was OK). In the afternoon I explored the markets and souks of Stonetown. The were crowded, but not as crazy as Morocco. The focus was more on food than on other goods. It was interesting to see all of the different tropical fruits and spices. Spices were quite cheap. Saffron was less than $1 USD per ounce. No all of the shops were open due to Ramadan. I also checked out the fish market. Did not look the most hygenic (cats and flies), but the size and varitey of fish was amazing. In the evening we went to the fish stalls for dinner. Another amazing fish dinner for less than $5 USD. We ended the night with a beer at the bar in the African House. The bar is open air and over looks the Indian Ocean. No clouds, so lots of stars.
OCT 3
Today we took the 7 AM ferry to Dar es Salaam. We did not receive the best treatment. Foreigns definitely pay more and have to deal with more red tape. Upon arriving in Dar, we walked to the bus station to buy tickets for the 4th. Then we took a cab to our hotel, the Movenpick Royal Palm. After a month in guesthouses, it was nice to go to an actual hotel...a 4 star none the less. We had lunch and relaxed. Conor got an hour massage for $35 USD. I went to pick Tamara up at the airport. She had some trouble getting a Visa (they only take US Dollars...and it is $50), but we got the money and went back to the hotel. We ate a late dinner, had ice cream and some beers.
OCT 4
Woke up early and had a great buffet breakfast. It was included in the price of the room. Then it was the 10 hour bus ride to Arusha. It was a unique start, we left on time and the bus was half full! We made a few stops along the way, but the bus never filled up. One of the more enjoyable trips. The scenery was spectacular (Pare Mtns.). When we got to Arusha, a driver from our tour company (Good Earth) was there to meet us. He drove us to our hotel, Le Jacaranda (named after a tree with a purple flower). It was nice and clean and had a good resturant. We ate dinner there and met with our travel representative. It was early to bed because we were to start our Kili climb the next day.
OCT 5
The first day of the climb. We ate breakfast (buffet), got our remaining gear (sleeping bags, fleece pants, headlamps,boots, etc.) and boarded a mini bus headed for the mountain. Along the way, the guide picked up his team of porters for the trip. It was 2 hour drive to the registration. Here we signed in and picked up the rest of our team. In total there 10 guys to support the three of us. There were porters, a cook, and 2 guides. They carried all of our gear (except we each kept a backpack for water, rain jacket, etc.). We then drove to our trailhead. We were to take the Rongai route. It started on the drier, northern side (Kenyan side) of the mountain. The start was on the boarder, so we did not go to Kenya. We started hiking at 3 PM and went for 3 hours to our camp (first cave). We started at an elevation of about 4800 ft. The trail and camp was not empty. There were 2 other groups, so we were never out of sight of a hiker or porter...and this was the least traveled route on the mountain. The hike started in a pine forest and then the trees got scrubbier as we went. At first there were kids asking for money or pens or anything, but they were soon passed as we went along. We camped in tents and had our own dining tent for meals. It was not roughing it, but the trail was dusty, only pit toilets and it was going to be 6 days. As soon as the sun went down we were in bed.
After a 40 min. morning walk by the ocean, we boarded a mini-bus back to Stonetown. We then had lunch in the Old Fort (it could not be seen from the street, so it was OK). In the afternoon I explored the markets and souks of Stonetown. The were crowded, but not as crazy as Morocco. The focus was more on food than on other goods. It was interesting to see all of the different tropical fruits and spices. Spices were quite cheap. Saffron was less than $1 USD per ounce. No all of the shops were open due to Ramadan. I also checked out the fish market. Did not look the most hygenic (cats and flies), but the size and varitey of fish was amazing. In the evening we went to the fish stalls for dinner. Another amazing fish dinner for less than $5 USD. We ended the night with a beer at the bar in the African House. The bar is open air and over looks the Indian Ocean. No clouds, so lots of stars.
OCT 3
Today we took the 7 AM ferry to Dar es Salaam. We did not receive the best treatment. Foreigns definitely pay more and have to deal with more red tape. Upon arriving in Dar, we walked to the bus station to buy tickets for the 4th. Then we took a cab to our hotel, the Movenpick Royal Palm. After a month in guesthouses, it was nice to go to an actual hotel...a 4 star none the less. We had lunch and relaxed. Conor got an hour massage for $35 USD. I went to pick Tamara up at the airport. She had some trouble getting a Visa (they only take US Dollars...and it is $50), but we got the money and went back to the hotel. We ate a late dinner, had ice cream and some beers.
OCT 4
Woke up early and had a great buffet breakfast. It was included in the price of the room. Then it was the 10 hour bus ride to Arusha. It was a unique start, we left on time and the bus was half full! We made a few stops along the way, but the bus never filled up. One of the more enjoyable trips. The scenery was spectacular (Pare Mtns.). When we got to Arusha, a driver from our tour company (Good Earth) was there to meet us. He drove us to our hotel, Le Jacaranda (named after a tree with a purple flower). It was nice and clean and had a good resturant. We ate dinner there and met with our travel representative. It was early to bed because we were to start our Kili climb the next day.
OCT 5
The first day of the climb. We ate breakfast (buffet), got our remaining gear (sleeping bags, fleece pants, headlamps,boots, etc.) and boarded a mini bus headed for the mountain. Along the way, the guide picked up his team of porters for the trip. It was 2 hour drive to the registration. Here we signed in and picked up the rest of our team. In total there 10 guys to support the three of us. There were porters, a cook, and 2 guides. They carried all of our gear (except we each kept a backpack for water, rain jacket, etc.). We then drove to our trailhead. We were to take the Rongai route. It started on the drier, northern side (Kenyan side) of the mountain. The start was on the boarder, so we did not go to Kenya. We started hiking at 3 PM and went for 3 hours to our camp (first cave). We started at an elevation of about 4800 ft. The trail and camp was not empty. There were 2 other groups, so we were never out of sight of a hiker or porter...and this was the least traveled route on the mountain. The hike started in a pine forest and then the trees got scrubbier as we went. At first there were kids asking for money or pens or anything, but they were soon passed as we went along. We camped in tents and had our own dining tent for meals. It was not roughing it, but the trail was dusty, only pit toilets and it was going to be 6 days. As soon as the sun went down we were in bed.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Sept. 28
For the first half of the day we were on the train. The landscape had changed over night and was now full of rolling hills and palm trees. The brown land had become green...and much more humid. At 12:30 we got to Dar es Salaam. We got a cab and the cab driver got a ticket. It was strange in that the cop just hopped in the back seat with us at a traffic light and instructed the driver to pull over. He was quite curteous, but it was strange in that he just sat in the back. Finally we got to downtown Dar. After taking out money, we booked the 3:45 ferry to Zanzibar. It was a 2 hour ferry. Upon arriving in Stonetown (main city/town on the island), we got a cab to take us to multiple guesthouses. In the end, we settled on one right by the ferry terminal. It is currently Ramadan, so you can't eat or drink outside during the day in Stonetown. The city was quite rich during the slave trade, but has now languished. The large stone buildings and narrow streets look quite weathered, but at night, the city seems much more mysterious and intriging. Also at night is the fish market food stalls. For less than a dollar a kebab, you can get anything from yellow fin tuna to shark to snapper. Lobster is alittle more. We feasted on 4 kebabs, naan and sambosas for less than $8. You pick the fish and they grill it for you. Not bad. After dinner, we arranged for transport to Nungwi, a beach town/diving spot on the northern tip of the island. We arranged it by paying half the fare to a bellboy in an alley. Seemed a little suspect, but it was a 8 AM pickup and we only put $5 down.
Sept. 29
The driver for the transport to Nungwi arrived early. We had some breakfast on the roof terrace while he picked up the rest of the passengers. By 8:30 we were off. By 10 AM we were in Nungwi. We checked into a guesthouse that consisted of multiple duplex beach bungalows by the beach. It was clean, though the bathroom did smell alittle mildew-y...can't really complain when you are on a tropical island beach and only paying $30 a night. We arranged diving for the next two days, relaxed on the beach and had a late lunch at a resturant with deck extending over to the edge of the lagoon. The rest of the afternoon was spent on the beach. The beach had fine white sand and little seaweed at places. At the northern tip, there was a dhow builder (wooden sailboats). Dhows sailed up and down the coast all day adding an interesting element to the aqua marine water. Sunset was at the beach's main bar and dinner was at another waterside resturant.
Sept. 30
Breakfast was included with the room, so we had eggs, fruit and bread on the beach. Not a bad way to start the day. At 10 AM loaded up the boat, and with a total of 4 other, we headed out to a reef. It was pretty good visibility (approx. 12 meters). Fish were everywhere. After a snack of watermellon and biscuits, we did a second dive. Quite beautiful, but not drastically different in scenery. The highlight, other than experiencing the underwater environment surrounded by teems of fish, was a large octopus. After the diving, we relaxed in the same way we did the day before...beach, sunset, dinner and drinks.
Oct. 1
Almost identical to the day before except we had two dives in a different location, Mnemba Island. This time the visibility was slightly better and the dives were alittle more varying in scenery. Fish were similar, but the first dive was more of a "wall" and the second one was a flatter reef. On the second, we saw 5 sea turtles. The boat ride for this day of diving was much longer than the previous day. It was close to 2 hours one way. Luckily the weather was fine and the water, beachs, and islands were stunning. More relaxation on the beach to close out the day.
For the first half of the day we were on the train. The landscape had changed over night and was now full of rolling hills and palm trees. The brown land had become green...and much more humid. At 12:30 we got to Dar es Salaam. We got a cab and the cab driver got a ticket. It was strange in that the cop just hopped in the back seat with us at a traffic light and instructed the driver to pull over. He was quite curteous, but it was strange in that he just sat in the back. Finally we got to downtown Dar. After taking out money, we booked the 3:45 ferry to Zanzibar. It was a 2 hour ferry. Upon arriving in Stonetown (main city/town on the island), we got a cab to take us to multiple guesthouses. In the end, we settled on one right by the ferry terminal. It is currently Ramadan, so you can't eat or drink outside during the day in Stonetown. The city was quite rich during the slave trade, but has now languished. The large stone buildings and narrow streets look quite weathered, but at night, the city seems much more mysterious and intriging. Also at night is the fish market food stalls. For less than a dollar a kebab, you can get anything from yellow fin tuna to shark to snapper. Lobster is alittle more. We feasted on 4 kebabs, naan and sambosas for less than $8. You pick the fish and they grill it for you. Not bad. After dinner, we arranged for transport to Nungwi, a beach town/diving spot on the northern tip of the island. We arranged it by paying half the fare to a bellboy in an alley. Seemed a little suspect, but it was a 8 AM pickup and we only put $5 down.
Sept. 29
The driver for the transport to Nungwi arrived early. We had some breakfast on the roof terrace while he picked up the rest of the passengers. By 8:30 we were off. By 10 AM we were in Nungwi. We checked into a guesthouse that consisted of multiple duplex beach bungalows by the beach. It was clean, though the bathroom did smell alittle mildew-y...can't really complain when you are on a tropical island beach and only paying $30 a night. We arranged diving for the next two days, relaxed on the beach and had a late lunch at a resturant with deck extending over to the edge of the lagoon. The rest of the afternoon was spent on the beach. The beach had fine white sand and little seaweed at places. At the northern tip, there was a dhow builder (wooden sailboats). Dhows sailed up and down the coast all day adding an interesting element to the aqua marine water. Sunset was at the beach's main bar and dinner was at another waterside resturant.
Sept. 30
Breakfast was included with the room, so we had eggs, fruit and bread on the beach. Not a bad way to start the day. At 10 AM loaded up the boat, and with a total of 4 other, we headed out to a reef. It was pretty good visibility (approx. 12 meters). Fish were everywhere. After a snack of watermellon and biscuits, we did a second dive. Quite beautiful, but not drastically different in scenery. The highlight, other than experiencing the underwater environment surrounded by teems of fish, was a large octopus. After the diving, we relaxed in the same way we did the day before...beach, sunset, dinner and drinks.
Oct. 1
Almost identical to the day before except we had two dives in a different location, Mnemba Island. This time the visibility was slightly better and the dives were alittle more varying in scenery. Fish were similar, but the first dive was more of a "wall" and the second one was a flatter reef. On the second, we saw 5 sea turtles. The boat ride for this day of diving was much longer than the previous day. It was close to 2 hours one way. Luckily the weather was fine and the water, beachs, and islands were stunning. More relaxation on the beach to close out the day.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Sept. 24
This morning I went for a run in town. It was a great morning and I ran past all of the people walking from the countryside to attend church. In the afternoon, Conor and I went to the Victoria Falls bridge. He wanted to do the bungi jump...I volunteered to be the photographer (firmly planted on the bridge). The bridge spans a narrow canyon and is 111 meters above the water. Quite an impressive sight. Conor enjoyed the jump and said it was more intense than skydiving. After taht we went and viewed the falls from the Zambian side of the Zambezi River. It was not as spectacular a view, but still worth a look since we were there. That afternoon we relaxed by the pool and watched Ryder Cup action and some soccer. For dinner we went to the Rite Pub. It was remarkably nice (compared to its location and exterior). We had a skew of beef and vegetables.
Sept. 25
We took the early bus out of Livingston for Lusaka, Zambia. It was a 3 hour bus ride through the "bush." Lusaka is the capital of Zambia and a little more build up and modern than Bulawayo. It did have the wide tree lined streets and the lack of trash pickup common is the rest of eastern Africa. Once we arrived we were intensely hounded for taxi's. They drivers were actually tapping the bus windows to try to get our attention. We quickly grabbed our bags and bought a ticket for the next day to Kapriri (where we were to get a train the next day). After that we walked to the Tazara train office to get out train tickets. The office staff was at lunch, so we took lunch as well. Luckily there were 2 Uganda businessmen at the office and they gave us a ride to a group of resturants. Like any good Africans, they only recommend chain resturants when asked...and in eastern Africa there is only one chain that houses accouple different resturants (baker's inn, chicken inn, pizza inn...etc.). After lunch we got our train tickets and went to Chachacha backpackers. It was nice. Dinner was at a resturant (with an extensive menu) near the embassies. It was much fancier than the listing made it seem...but still cheap. My kabobs were actually served on a mini-charcoal spit.
Sept. 26
We traveled by bus to Kapriri. It was a 3 hour ride. It was a second bus ride in Zambia and the same result. No one would sit next to us. People would choose a much more uncomfortable seat just so they would not sit by us...not sure why. We got to the station at 8 AM, but the bus did not leave until it was full...so we didn't leave until 9:45. And they packed the bus. It seemed that half of the people were moving or had come to the city to get supplies for the next 3 months. After driving the Zambian countryside (where the per capital yearly income in $250 USD), the later is probably what the people were doing. When we got to Kapriri, we were hounded even more than in Lusaka. People actually had our bags because they were going to carry them 10 ft. to a cab. All for money. When we got to the train station we were early. About 3 hours early...and with all African transportation, "there is not hurry in Africa." We got moving at a decent hour. The car was much cleaner than the one in Zimbabwe. It had four bunks and we had a roommate, Nick. He was a little weird and smelly, but overall not to bad. We ended up living with him and eating meals with him for the next 2 days as we went through Zambia to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. For dinner, we ate with our hands and used nshima, a grit-like substance we rolled into balls and used to soak up sauce or grab the vegetable (collared greens).
Sept. 27
Full day on the train. Not to exciting. The countryside was pretty, just like the Africa you see in magazines. The houses were mud with thatched roofs. People sold bananas through the window of the train. We even saw children playing soccer with a ball made of rages and plastic bags. The meals were the same. We alternated between chicken and beef. We both read alot and just watched the scenary as the trained rolled on.
This morning I went for a run in town. It was a great morning and I ran past all of the people walking from the countryside to attend church. In the afternoon, Conor and I went to the Victoria Falls bridge. He wanted to do the bungi jump...I volunteered to be the photographer (firmly planted on the bridge). The bridge spans a narrow canyon and is 111 meters above the water. Quite an impressive sight. Conor enjoyed the jump and said it was more intense than skydiving. After taht we went and viewed the falls from the Zambian side of the Zambezi River. It was not as spectacular a view, but still worth a look since we were there. That afternoon we relaxed by the pool and watched Ryder Cup action and some soccer. For dinner we went to the Rite Pub. It was remarkably nice (compared to its location and exterior). We had a skew of beef and vegetables.
Sept. 25
We took the early bus out of Livingston for Lusaka, Zambia. It was a 3 hour bus ride through the "bush." Lusaka is the capital of Zambia and a little more build up and modern than Bulawayo. It did have the wide tree lined streets and the lack of trash pickup common is the rest of eastern Africa. Once we arrived we were intensely hounded for taxi's. They drivers were actually tapping the bus windows to try to get our attention. We quickly grabbed our bags and bought a ticket for the next day to Kapriri (where we were to get a train the next day). After that we walked to the Tazara train office to get out train tickets. The office staff was at lunch, so we took lunch as well. Luckily there were 2 Uganda businessmen at the office and they gave us a ride to a group of resturants. Like any good Africans, they only recommend chain resturants when asked...and in eastern Africa there is only one chain that houses accouple different resturants (baker's inn, chicken inn, pizza inn...etc.). After lunch we got our train tickets and went to Chachacha backpackers. It was nice. Dinner was at a resturant (with an extensive menu) near the embassies. It was much fancier than the listing made it seem...but still cheap. My kabobs were actually served on a mini-charcoal spit.
Sept. 26
We traveled by bus to Kapriri. It was a 3 hour ride. It was a second bus ride in Zambia and the same result. No one would sit next to us. People would choose a much more uncomfortable seat just so they would not sit by us...not sure why. We got to the station at 8 AM, but the bus did not leave until it was full...so we didn't leave until 9:45. And they packed the bus. It seemed that half of the people were moving or had come to the city to get supplies for the next 3 months. After driving the Zambian countryside (where the per capital yearly income in $250 USD), the later is probably what the people were doing. When we got to Kapriri, we were hounded even more than in Lusaka. People actually had our bags because they were going to carry them 10 ft. to a cab. All for money. When we got to the train station we were early. About 3 hours early...and with all African transportation, "there is not hurry in Africa." We got moving at a decent hour. The car was much cleaner than the one in Zimbabwe. It had four bunks and we had a roommate, Nick. He was a little weird and smelly, but overall not to bad. We ended up living with him and eating meals with him for the next 2 days as we went through Zambia to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. For dinner, we ate with our hands and used nshima, a grit-like substance we rolled into balls and used to soak up sauce or grab the vegetable (collared greens).
Sept. 27
Full day on the train. Not to exciting. The countryside was pretty, just like the Africa you see in magazines. The houses were mud with thatched roofs. People sold bananas through the window of the train. We even saw children playing soccer with a ball made of rages and plastic bags. The meals were the same. We alternated between chicken and beef. We both read alot and just watched the scenary as the trained rolled on.
